Pseudo Laboratories: 30 releases in…

By Kennedy Pawluk

EDMONTON – Edmonton experimental label Pseudo Laboratories launched at the end of 2014 when label founders Ian Rowley and Parker Thiessen decided to “put a logo” on their upcoming album with their project Private Investigators. Going in, the label was initially intended to be a means for the two to self release the many projects they’re involved in that include Zebra Pulse, Soft Ions and Rhythm of Cruelty, among many others. It didn’t take long before the label expanded outside of their own projects and out of their Edmonton home base with a release from Calgary’s Poison Leaf in 2015.

Although the label focuses primarily on releasing experimental music on cassette, they’ve also produced and promoted countless shows, released multiple VHS tapes, curated a film installation, and are set to release Midnight Oscillations, a film by Thiessen that was recently featured in an experimental film festival in Athens, Greece.

While the label is still primarily used by the two to release their own projects (19 of 30 Pseudo Laboratories releases feature one of the two) the label has been consistently been releasing experimental music from across western Canada for four years and are set to release their 30th release with LEMONLIMEby Dream Hair.

Rowley describes the 30th release as reminiscent of library music. An early genre of experimental music that features minimalistic synth work, often used to score films. “Dream Hare sort of reminds me of that early ‘60s, ‘70s electronics. Clearly people figuring out these technologies. It’s very synth exploration, but very minimal,” describes Rowley.

On the labels longevity Rowley explains, “I guess when you’re just kind of recording music yourself, putting on shows yourself and releasing music yourself, you just kind of are doing it. Its kind of crazy that 30 releases have gone by and we probably have about five more that are about to come out.”

“I honestly feel like every release I’m super stoked on when it comes out. I honestly always feel like the last release I’m like, ‘This is one of the best things we’ve put out,’” adds Thiessen.

Dream Hair’s new album LEMONLIME, Pseudo Laboratories 30th release comes out Oct. 20th with a show at Edmonton’s Sewing Machine Factory with Borys, Carbolizer, and Static Control.